Colombia 2014 World Cup Injury Report: Carlos Bacca Out For The Remainder Of The Group Stage

Big news coming out of the Colombian camp this week rules out Carlos Bacca for their upcoming game against the Ivory Coast and most likely for the rest of the group stage. The Colombian Soccer Federation had released a statement saying, “Carlos Bacca suffered a grade one muscle injury, which requires a treatment period of 7-10 days.”

Carlos Bacca currently plays his club football in La Liga for Sevilla. He played a major role for the Seville side this year scoring 14 goals in 35 appearances in La Liga, while adding another 7 during the Europa League. Bacca, who is only 27 years old, has been capped by the national team 11 times, scoring 3 goals in the process.

Bacca did not feature in Colombia’s 3-0 win over Greece, but his injury has given coach Jose Pekerman more problems to deal with. “Los Cafeteros” were supposed to have one of the deepest attacking forces in the world coming into the tournament, but recent injuries have dwindled down their attacking depth. Already being without star striker Radamel Falcao, Colombia will have to rely on the likes of Jackson Martinez, Teofilo Gutierrez and Adrian Ramos up front.

So what does this mean for the Colombian team? Though losing a player with the talent of Bacca is never good, if I were a Colombian, I wouldn’t be overly concerned. The Colombians play with only one true striker up top, which will likely be Teo once more. They have great attack minded wing players in Rodriguez and Cuadrado, who will surely help Teo in the attacking third. Jackson Martinez came on as a sub in the 76^th minute and will most likely be brought on again if Pekerman feels the need to boost the attack.

Losing a player like Bacca is never a good thing, but the Colombians can feel comfortable knowing that there are still players who can fill his role. Many had predicted that the 2014 World Cup would be the 27-year olds coming out party as his club performances have been beyond what was expected of him. He as well as the rest of Colombia can only hope that the team advances to the knockout rounds so that they will have a chance to see him represent his country on the biggest stage in the world.